Expansible wiping die



Sept. 12, 1950 J. E. LODGE EXPANSIBLE WIPING DIE Filed May 24, 1946.

3 Sheets-Sheetl.

/Nv/v70R J. f. [0065 w ATTORNEY Sept. 12, 1950 J. E. LODGE EXPANSIBLE WIPING DIE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 24, 1946 ATTORNEY Sept. 12, 1950 J. E. LODGE EXPANSIBLE WIPING DIE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 24, 1946 WM n N N 0 J Patented Sept. 12, 1950 Joseph E. Lodge,Baltimore, Md., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of'New York ApplicationMay 24, 1946, Serial No. 672,031

This invention relates to expansible wiping s Claims; (CI. 91-53) dies, and'more particularly to expansible wiping dies for wiping excess coating material from coated filamentary articlesf 'In coating filamentary articles, I

lated conductors, it'is often necessary to apply an excess amount of coating material to the articles and then wipe off the excess. Some dies for wiping the excess coating material from filamentary articles are expansible'in order to' accommodate themselves tovarying cross-sectional sizes of filamentary articles, and to permit spliced or knotted portions of the articles to pass therethrough without manually adjusting the dies' to permit them to pass through the dies. With dies heretofore known, it has been difllcult to advance knotted or spliced portions of fllamentary articles therethrough without snagging.

An objectof the invention is to and improved expansible dies.

, A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved expansible dies for wiping" excess coating material from filamentary articles) and for permitting knots, splices v and the like to be drawn through the dies.

sections having a passage therein. A frame havengages the face of the last-mentioned die section near the center portion thereof and permitsthat die section to be moved away from the other. die section and to be pivoted with respect tc the other die section about an axis transverse to the passage in the die sections so that the passage in],

the die section may beexpanded in increments along the longitudinal axis.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of expansible dies forming specific embodimer ts thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

Fig. 1' is a fragmentary, top plan view of a coating apparatus and a die assembly forming one embodiment of the invention;

Fig.- 2 is "a fragmentary, vertical section taken along line 2-2 ofFig. 1;

viewof the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

-:Fig.'3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, 'to'p' pllan" Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sec:

tion-taken along line 4--4of Fig. 3;

such as insuprovide new j 2' An expansible die forming one embodiment of. the invention includes a pair of separable die,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, horizontal section taken along line 6-5 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section similar to Fig. 5 of an expansible die forming an alternative embodiment of the invention,

and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sec-- tion taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

the invention includes a tank ||l (Fig. 1) having a supply of weatherproofing material therein. Grooved coating discs are mounted on a shaft l2 rotatably mounted in bearings, illustrated by a bearing I5, and coat insulated conductors |6-|6 with an excessive amount of the weatherproofing material as the conductors are advanced through the grooves therein. A gang wiper l9 serves to wipe the excess weatherproof ing material from the insulated conductors Iii- 6, and the excess weatherproofing material wiped from the insulated conductors drains back into the tank Ill.

The gang wiper I9 includes identical die assemblies 20, 2|, 22 and 23, and is mounted on a wall 25 of the tank Ill. The gang wiper includes a support 26 having slots 2|-2'| in the ends thereof, which is bolted adjustably to spacers 2828 fastened to the wall 25 to the tank It. The support 26 hasupwardly facing horizontal grooves 30, 3|, 32 and 33 (Fig. 3) and also is provided with vertical guideways 35, 36, 31 and 38, which are transverse to the horizontal grooves 30, 3|, 32 and 33, respectively. Each of the die assemblies 20, 2|, 22 and 23 is identical with the others, and, for purposes of simplicity only the die assembly 2|] will be described. The die assembly 20 includes an eyelet frame (Fig. 4) having a rectangular opening 4| formed therein and a threaded rod 42 projecting from the upper portion thereof, as viewed in Fig. 5. A nut 43 and a spring retainer seat 44 retaining a compression spring 45 on the rod 42, and the compression spring 45 urges a split presser 45 having bevelled edges 41-4! against a die section of a die 52 at portions of the die section 50 slightly to the right of the center thereof, as viewed in Fig. 5. This urges the die section 50 against a die section 5|, which is complementary thereto, and holds the die section 5| against the frame 40.

in. A large groove 51 concentric with the groove 56 serves to receive a liner 66 of a high carbon steel, which is highly resistant to wear. A retaining plate 6i having a groove 62 therein is positioned in a slot 63 in the die section 50, and retains the liner 60 in the large groove 51 in the die section 50. The die section is identical with the die section 50 and includes a bell-mouth entrance portion 65 of a groove 66 formed therein and a large groove 61 corresponding to the large groove 5'! on the die section 50. A liner ID of high carbon steel is retained in the large groove 51 in the die section Si by a retaining plate II, which has a groove I2 therein and is secured in a slot I3 formed in the die section 51. ment formed on the support 26 and having a plurality of passages, illustrated by a passage I6,

An abut f tion line of the two die sections.

plates 61- andliblock any flow of the weathertherein prevents movement of the die sections 5!! and SI toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 5.

The die section Si is provided with fluted SI sothat' it does not obstruct'escape'of excess material. The clearance of the "groove and r the frame 46 also prevents binding between these elerrients. The conductor it traveling through the liners Ell-and it aligns the die section 56' with the die section inasmuch as the die seciiil is, pressed towards a closed position. A.

rcund'edend' as of the die section 58 permits pivotal movement thereof.

" lfn theoperation of the coating apparatus described'hereinabove, the insulated conductors Iii-Iii are advanced over the grooved coating discs iII I; which are rotated bythe shaft I2 and dip into the 'weatherproofing material in the tank This coats the conductors iE--I with an excess of weatherproofing material. The conductors" Iii-46 travel from the coating discs ii i-i toandthrough the die assemblies 20, 2|,

2E and 23, which wipe the excess weatherproofing material from the insulated conductors. The die assemblies are expansible so that they may conform themselves to varying cross-sectional sizes of the conductors i5-I6 and permit knots, spliced portions and the like of the insulating conductors l5-'-i6 to be advanced therethrough without manually separating the die sections thereof.

-When a knot ora spliced portion in the in sulated: conductor 56 being advanced through the wiping diewassembly 2Q enters the bell-mouth portions 55 and 65 of the die sections 5!) and 5!,

respectively, it pivots the die section 59 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5, about the endv oithe presser 46, which engages the die section 5!) at a point to the right of the central portion of the die section it. As the knotorsplicedportion is continuously advanced throughthe die 52, the die section 50 israisedaway from-thedie section 5! so that the passage in these die sections is enlarged. Due to the pivotal action oi,the. die section 50 with respect to the die}' section. 5|, the passage iormed by these die sections may be easily expanded without any danger of breaking the conductor when a knotted or spliced portion of the conductor is advanced through the die 52. The presser 46 normally maintains the die sections 50 and 5| in close engagement with each other and any excessweatherproofing material on the insulated conductor 16 is-w iped therefrom along the entire portion of" the insulated conductor in the die 52. The weatherproofing material wiped from the insulated conductor in the grooves 56 and fi iaand liners 60 and H1 in the die 52 escape easily over the narrow lands 8I8! 0f the die section 5!" into"the fluted portions 8]-Bll therein so 'that force does not build up between the junc- The retaining proofing material toward the right ends, as viewed in Fig. 6, of the fluted portions, illustrated by the fluted portions Bil-80.

The dieassemblies-Zil; El, 22 and-23 normally press tightly: against the insulated conductors IB-ifi anjd'efiectively wipe any excess of weathereproofing material from-the insulated conductors. The dies of the wiper- 29 may be easily expanded so that--knotsorcther enlarged portions of the-.1

insulated-conductors t t-i5- may be advanced through the dies Without danger of becoming. snaggedthereon. Thus,- any danger to the in sulated conductors from breaking thereof is eliminated. r v

A zgangz -wi-per-119 (Fig. "1) forming an alternative embodimentofthe invention is mountedon anend wall 425 of a tank H6 similar to the. flank) (Fig. l). The gang Wiper [Iii (Fig. '7) i includes a; plurality of die assemblies, illustrated byai die assembly 120, which are mounted-on;

a support $26 adiustably mounted on the end wallv I25. of. the tank. ill) on spacers; of which a spacer I28 is shown. The support 526 includes an abutmentshoulder H5 having passagesillustratedby apassage I16 formed therein to permit insulated conductors. to be advanced therethronghi The support vI26 also is provided with bores, illustrated byv a bore 136, and vertical guideways, illustrated by a vertical guideway I35, andan, eyelet framev I43 of the die assembly I20 having a rectangularopening I4! therein is mountedslidably in the guideway nae formed f in asupport iz iih Theopening MI (Fig. 8) in.

the eyelet frame I Iilis wider than the die sec tions I56 and [5i so that they may float laterally therein and sothat the die section I5I does not bind therewith. The die section I55 is provided with a rounded end I88 to facilitate its pivotal. movement.

A threaded rod M2 projecting fromthe eyelet frame l i'll is mounted slidably in a bore I36 in the support, I26, and a compression spring I45 is positioned oveiuthe rod I42 and is retained thereon in engagement with the support 126 by a spring retainer seat M4 mounted adjustably on the rod I42 by anut I43.

IMl.upwardlpfaslviewed in Fig. '7, and a bevelled edge I49 of the frame M9 engages a die section- |5I of a,die,,I5 2 ata point to the right .of the center thereof, and normally holds the die sec.-

tion I5I in engagement with a die section I50.

In the operation of the gang wiper H9, the

conductors are passed through the dies, illustrated by. the die I52,:.and the excess-weatherproofing material is wiped therefrom. When an enlargedportion of the insulated conductor travels through flgthe die I52, it firstpivots-the diesection I51 in a v I The compression spr ng I 45 urges the rod I42 and the eyelet frame counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 7, about the bevelled edge I49 of the frame I40 and moves the frame I40 downwardly against the action of the compression spring I45. As the enlarged portion of the insulated conductor travels farther to the right, as viewed in Fig. 7, the die section II is moved farther away from the die section I50 to permit the enlarged portion of the insulated conductor to be advanced through the die I52. After the enlarged portion of the insulated conductor travels completely through the die I52, the frame I40 moves the die section I5I back against the die section I50 and the wiping operation is resumed.

The gang wiper H9 effectively wipes excess weather-proofing material from insulated conductors advanced therethrough, but permits enlarged portions, such as knots or splices, 'of the insulated conductors to be advanced through the expansible dies thereof without breaking the insulated conductors and without stopping the travel of the insulated conductors in order to adjust the gang wiping die assembly IIS whenever an enlarged portion of one of the insulated conductors is to be advanced through one of the dies thereof.

therein, a frame designed to fit into the socket and having an opening therein for engaging one of the die sections along a line near the central portion of that die section and for limiting lateral movement of the die sections, the thickness of the frame being substantially less than the length of the die section to prevent binding between the frame and the die sections, and a presser urged against the other die section near the central portion of that die section for urging the die sections together and for permitting pivotal movement of the last-mentioned die section about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of that die section.

r 2. An expansible die, which comprises a pair of elongated, separable die sections having a passage formed therein, a support having a socket therein, a frame designed to fit into the socket and having a rectangular opening for receiving the die sections therein, said frame serving to engage a face of one of the die sections near the central portion thereof and being substantially thinner than the length of the die sections, and a presser having a bevelled end for engaging the face of the other die section near the central portion thereof, to urge the die sections together.

3. An expansible die, which comprises a pair of elongated die sections having an elongated passage therein, a support, a thin frame having an opening therein for bracketing the die sections, and means for urging the frame toward the support in such a direction as to hold one of the die sections against the support and to permit pivotal movement of the-other-die section with respect to the die section held against the support, said frame serving to restrict lateral movement of the die sections.

4. An expansible die, which comprises a pair of elongated die 7 sections having a predetermined combined thickness, a support having a guideway therein, a frame having an opening therein for receiving the die sections, and being slidably mounted in the guideway in the support, one dimension of the opening in the frame being substantially greater than the combined thickness of the die sections, and means for urging the frame through the guideway in the support to urge the die sections together and toward the support.

5. An expansible die, which comprises a plate having a guideway extending transversely therethrough, an elongated die section for fitting against one face of the plate in a centered position with respect to the guideway, a second elongated die section forming a die with the firstmentioned die section, said die sections having a predetermined combined thickness, a frame mounted slidably in the guideway in the plate and being provided with a pair of arms for bracketing the die sections to limit lateral movement of the die sections, said arms being substantially longer than the combined thickness of the die sections, said frame also having a bar extending between the arms thereof for engaging the second-mentioned die section, means for urging the frame through the guideway to urge the second-mentioned die section against the other die section and the latter die section against the support, and means for limiting endwise movement of the die sections.

6. An expansible die, which comprises an L-shaped support having a groove formed-in the inside portion of one arm of the support from the outer edge of that arm to the inner edge thereof and also being provided with a rectangular guideway extending through that arm of the support transversely to the groove and being centered with respect to the groove, an elongated die section designed to seat in the groove, a second elongated die section forming adie with the first-mentioned die section, said die sections having a predetermined combined thickness, an eyelet bolt mounted slidably in the guideway, the opening of the eyelet bolt being substantially greater in its dimension parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guideway than the combined thicknesses of the die sections and serving to receive the die sections, a spring seat mounted on the eyelet bolt, and a spring mounted on the eyelet bolt between the support and the spring seat for urging the bolt through the guideway to press the die sections together.

JOSEPH E. LODGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 270,709 Wardwell Jan. 16, 1883 1,882,459 Tyner Oct. 11, 1932 1,930,446 Weybrecht et a1. Oct. 10, 1933 2,280,415 Larmuth Apr. 21, 1942 2,346,697 Mungall Apr. 18, 1944 2.407337 Kolter Sept. 10, 1946 

